Brand Marketing Must Improve To Exploit Potential Online Audiences

“Brand owners cannot ignore online advertising if they want to sustain or increase the overall time consumers are spending with their brands. Our panel of at home Internet users shows that consumers are continuing to spend more and more time online each month. In the UK we have seen a growth from an average five and a half hours per month in July 2000 to over seven hours per month in June 2001. But as our survey shows, 40% of the 113 British and European advertisers interviewed by Jupiter MMXI between May and July 2001 still do not use the Internet at all for advertising and promotion.” Said Engdegard.

“Consumer goods brand owners are slowly starting to integrate the Internet in the media mix. Of those who are advertising online, many are still in the evaluation stage. However, if they use traditional media selection and performance criteria to evaluate the success of their campaigns, they risk undervaluing the opportunities the Internet presents. Brands should apply a targeted-marketing model better suited to the dynamics of the Internet than the mass-marketing model most are used to.” he continued.

Source: Jupiter MMXI Traditional Advertiser Survey, July 2001

Online marketers must better understand the context of the medium in order to maximise their advertising spend. NestlÊ, for example, has placed advertising for Kit Kat on MSN’s Messenger Service using the strapline ‘Have a break, have a Kit Kat’ which relates nicely to the purpose of the average user – to chat. NescafÊ have chosen to brand the Lycos SMS messaging site with their ‘One thing leads to another’, exploiting the huge popularity of text messaging.

“Brands need to develop online marketing and advertising as a distinct practice to optimise the potential of the Internet. Whether it be through adding value, education, identifying new target groups, or even experimenting with new ideas and products, consumer brands cannot ignore the Internet” concluded Engdegard.